Broken Barriers
by RoslinMarie
Summary: Takes up from the end of the movie and follows them home. My pure excuse to continue the story a bit more. More short stories to follow soon.


_Authors note: This is my interpretation of the ending, **The Mirror Has Two Faces** and a bit more of what I thought might happen after they got into the cab. ;) It does contain the exact wording from the movie, but sadly I do no claim any of the dialogue as my own. Barbra, can you hear me? I'm just playing with your characters, I swear! All rights are that of Barwood Productions and the Queen, Mrs. Streisand. It also is unbeta-ed, any mistakes are mine, as this is solely for my own fun really._

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Clicking her tongue, Rose's impatience got the better of her. "Gregory, what… I'm aging here! What is it you want to say?" she asked, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Greg's heart filled with wonder and admiration as he watched her. Her humor and grace were something to behold and, although he knew she'd always been like this, rarely had he afforded the opportunity to regard her without the constraints of his own protocols and detachment.

But now she was here with in arms reach and things were different.

He'd tried to sleep on Henry's couch but as it eluded him, he finally gave up a little over a half an hour ago. Closing his eyes in shame, he could still see her face in his mind's eye and it had haunted him from that day to this. She wouldn't even look at him and, without a word, had merely turned from the room and walked away. That was the last time he'd seen her and every day since, without exception, he wished he could turn back time and take back every stupid and ill-considered word he'd uttered. Now picturing his wife in the arms of another man was driving him crazy and by God if she was not going to answer her phone, she would be hard pressed to ignore him at her door. He had had no idea what he was going to say, he was almost at his wit's end, but despite having no sleep he felt energized for the first time in weeks.

This newly acquired affliction of hyper-awareness had been begun just after he'd left home and no one was more surprised than he was, to find himself awestruck and gaping at her when she came into the room the night he returned from his trip. It had been an epiphany of sorts, seeing her so confident with so much passion in herself he'd always suspected but never acknowledged fully.

It was as if he were seeing her for the first time, through new eyes. He remembered this feeling though - the sense of wonder and delight at just being in her mere company.

The truth for him, however, could no longer be denied; he was in love with Rose. In every way one could be.

In little more than a whisper, he said, "God, you're beautiful."

"Thank you. Thank you, Gregory." Biting her lip, she blinked backed the tears that threatened to fall. Gregory's loss and the drastic change of direction her life had taken over the last few months.

Even so, she would try to put on a brave face, even if it hurt her. Over the years, she'd become something of a master at hiding her feelings and was determined that he would never know the depth of her hurt. It was still a mystery to her how it had all come about.

"I..."

Rose's face softened. "What?"

He swallowed. "I'm so sorry for the way l acted and the things l said…l know that l hurt you..."

Looking away as a few stray tear fell, she replied, "Oh, it's alright..."

"That was the last thing l wanted to do..."

"l accept your apology..."

Taking her gently by the shoulders, he implored, "Rose, please let me finish. This is important for me to say."

"Alright."

"That night ... That terrible night, l wanted you so much, l couldn't see straight."

"You did?"

"l have to make sure you know that, Rose…"

"Yeah, because I... I thought…"

"lt wasn't you… Rose. You're a very sexy girl..." He was quiet for a moment but felt compelled to say. "And I know it's not fair of me to say that now that you're with Alex."

Tilting her head to the side, she spoke softly. "Who said that? Who said I was with Alex?"

He frowned, thinking back to what Hanna had told him earlier that night. "Your mother."

"My mother? Oh, great." Rose narrowed her eyes before, glancing up at the window to her mother's apartment. Huffing a laugh, she couldn't help smiling as she shook her head at him. "Oh Gregory, l'm not with Alex."

"You're not?"

Again she shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Well ...I ..."

"Talk to me," Rose whispered, imploringly.

"Rose, I love you."

With a relieved sigh, Rose smiled.

"And I... I want to be married to you."

"Gregory, you are married to me." She replied, nodding.

"Uh... that's right," He kissed her then, for the first time in months. "That's right!" He was so filled with love for this woman that he thought he would burst. He tugged her close, and wrapped his arms around her. He never wanted to let her go. "Uh oh..."

Some of Gregory's weight settled on her, concerned she asked, "What?"

"l'm getting a little dizzy…"

Realizing it was her that was having the effect on him, she laughed. "It's alright, it'll pass… Just hold on to me."

"Rose, don't ever leave me again."

"I'm not leaving you. l love you, Gregory."

Kissing her cheek, he said, "l couldn't stand being away from you, it was killing me."

"Really? I'm so glad!"

He breathed a sigh and smiled, his free hand coming to rest on her cheek, pushing the hair from around her face. "l don't care if you are pretty, l love you anyway."

"Listen everything will drop as l get older, and I'm gaining weight as we speak."

"Well, that's comforting."

Rose's eyes fluttered closed as their lips met in what began as a chaste kiss. It was meant to soothe and reassure but the instant they touched, something extraordinary ignited between them. He tugged her closer, his lips pressing hard against hers as her mouth opened and they shared the sweet heat of their first real kiss.

For moments, it was only them. Nothing or no one existed outside of their kiss. Until the music started.

Both broke away from the other slowly. Looking around for the source of it, they found that it could be coming from anywhere…or nowhere at all.

Her breath caught and Rose shook her head, her mouth slightly open and her cheeks flushed. She'd always hoped, but never dreamed this could be happening to her.

Forgetting the music, Greg couldn't bear it any longer and pulling her close, his lips met hers.

Warm and soft, her lips pressed firmly against his and it was close to perfect. Then her mouth opened and she plunged her tongue past his lips to taste and touch. Greg wrenched his mouth away from her and stared. Reading the hunger in her eyes, his look darkened and he dove back onto her mouth, his kiss more demanding and his arms tightening around her.

They danced then. Right there in the streets of New York. It was perfect.

His fingers skittered down her arm, making her shiver. He noticed and grinned.

Taking her hand, he tugged her towards a cab, and together they scrambled to find one that would stop.

Fifteen minutes and forty-seven seconds later they were back in the foyer of their building, making a bee-line for the elevator.

Rose smiled as she watched their approaching reflections in the mirrored doors. It was a very different experience. She looked happy and Greg was by her side – the sad and lonely woman from this morning was nowhere to be seen.

Once they were alone in the elevator, the temptation to fall into each other's arms was almost overwhelming, but although their restraint was tenuous and their need spiraling out of control, after almost a year of waiting and wanting, neither wished to rush the sweetness of this final step. The tension built as the lift rose ever so slowly to the tenth floor.

The doors opened and they burst from the confines, and almost at a run, made their way up the corridor towards their apartment.

Greg pushed Rose against the door and kissed her again, attempting to unlock it as he did so. With unsuccess he grudgingly broke away from her once more, finally opening the door he stopped on the threshold and turned towards Rose. He took a deep, unsteady breath and lifted his hand to cup her cheek. "I love you."

She smiled and nodded. "I won't ever get tired of hearing you say it. I love you, too."

"I'll understand if you don't want to rush this. Maybe you need some time…"

She refused to let him finish the sentence, let alone the thought. "You're kidding me, right?" With that she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. He staggered; surprised by her forthright move, but it took him only a split second to get with the program.

She laughed at his astonishment, and he grinned from ear to ear, hauling her flush against him as he took a decisive step through the doors and kicked it closed behind him.

The loud turn of the deadbolt echoed up the empty hall.


End file.
